The silence after Adrian's voice was more frightening than a scream. The air around the fountain grew thick, heavy, as though the night itself bowed under his power. Elena's pulse roared in her ears, her body frozen between the two men who seemed ready to tear the world apart.
Adrian's gaze was fixed on her, but there was nothing soft in his eyes now—only the cutting edge of betrayal. His voice was low, almost a growl. "You disobeyed me."
Elena swallowed hard, her lips parting, but no words came out. She wanted to explain, to defend herself, but the storm in his aura stole her voice away.
Damian stepped closer to her side, deliberately closing the space between them. "Don't speak to her like that," he said, his tone sharp with defiance. "She doesn't belong to you, Adrian. She's not your possession."
A dangerous smile curved Adrian's lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. "And yet she came running to me the day she needed safety. Not to you." His voice dripped venom. "You're nothing but a shadow of the past, clinging to what was never yours."
Damian's hand brushed Elena's shoulder lightly, protective yet daring, as if daring Adrian to strike. "The difference between us is simple—I want her to choose. You keep her locked in your gilded cage, too afraid to let her breathe. Tell me, Elena—" his crimson eyes softened for a fleeting moment, "—when was the last time you felt free?"
Elena's chest tightened. The question stung because it was true—she couldn't remember. With Adrian, she felt safe, cocooned, but also watched. With Damian, there was danger, unpredictability… but also something reckless that called to her.
Adrian's expression darkened at the hesitation in her silence. "Do you think freedom is worth your life?" he asked, his words sharp as a blade. "Because that's what he's offering you. Chaos. Pain. He'll burn you alive in the name of freedom."
"And what are you offering?" Damian shot back. "Chains? Smiles that hide threats? A lifetime of fear disguised as protection?"
The tension snapped like a whip. In an instant, Adrian's aura exploded outward, shadows twisting and curling around him like serpents. The cracked stones of the fountain shivered under the weight of his power. Damian, unshaken, summoned his own energy, the crimson glow around him burning brighter, wilder, almost feral.
Elena staggered back, her hands trembling. "Stop!" Her voice rang out, trembling but desperate. "Please, both of you—this isn't what I want!"
Neither man moved. Their eyes locked, predator against predator, and Elena realized with dawning horror that she was the prize of a battle neither intended to lose.
Adrian finally spoke, his voice cold as winter. "Leave, Damian. Before I make you regret stepping into my world."
Damian's laugh was low, bitter. "Your world? Elena doesn't belong to your world, Adrian. She belongs to herself." His eyes flicked to her, gentler now, pleading. "Tell him. Tell him you're not his possession."
Her breath hitched. Both of them were waiting for her answer. Both of them held pieces of her heart in ways she couldn't understand. She wanted to scream that she wasn't a possession, that she belonged to no one but herself—but the words tangled in her chest.
Adrian's gaze softened for a fleeting second when he looked at her, but the fury behind it remained. He extended his hand. "Come here, Elena." His tone brooked no refusal.
Her legs trembled, torn between two directions—toward safety, toward fire.
Damian reached for her hand as well, his voice steadier than she had ever heard. "You don't have to choose him out of fear. Not tonight."
The world seemed to still. The fountain, the stars, the night itself—all waiting for her answer.
Her hand lifted slightly, caught in the gravity of both men. For one terrifying heartbeat, she thought she might shatter apart if she chose either.
But before she could move, a gust of wind tore through the courtyard, carrying with it a whispering voice that did not belong to either Adrian or Damian. The ground quaked, and faint symbols flared on the broken stones of the fountain—an ancient seal awakening.
Both Adrian and Damian snapped their heads toward it, tension shifting instantly. Elena stumbled back, clutching her chest.
"What—what is happening?" she gasped.
Adrian's eyes narrowed, his fury replaced with grim focus. "The seal… someone tampered with it." His gaze shot to Damian, suspicion flashing like lightning.
Damian raised his hands defensively. "Don't look at me. I'm not the only one who wants her, Adrian. You've drawn far darker eyes than mine."
The shadows around the fountain writhed, shapes forming in the darkness, whispering in voices Elena couldn't understand.
For once, both men turned toward the threat together, their rivalry set aside—if only for a moment.
And Elena, caught in the middle, realized her choices were no longer just about love or freedom. Something ancient and monstrous had just been unleashed, and she was at the center of it all.